Town of Newburgh Deputy Police Chief Robert Craig DeSaye passed away on August 23 at his home in Poughkeepsie, following a brief battle with cancer. He was 54.

News of DeSaye’s passing was shared on Facebook.
DeSaye was born on November 19, 1967 to Virginia and Ernest DeSaye in Pompton Plains, NJ and was the third of four sons. As a youth, DeSaye was involved in athletics where he played soccer during his high school years and was a member of the ski team.

DeSaye was also an avid hockey player and a loyal fan of the New York Rangers. This past spring, DeSaye was able to compete with this team and won the Can/Am Tournament at the Olympic Ice Arena in Lake Placid, NY.

As a police officer, DeSaye proudly served in several agencies in the area that included the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Village of Walden Police, the City of Beacon Police and the Town of Newburgh Police. DeSaye joined the ranks of the Town of Newburgh Police in September of 2001 and served the town for 21 years. On June 24, 2010, DeSaye was promoted to the rank of sergeant and on December 29, 2016 was promoted to lieutenant.

During his tenure in the town, DeSaye was a member of the SWAT team and eventually became the Tactical Team Commander. DeSaye also served as a General Topics Instructor, Firearms Instructor, Defensive Tactics Instructor and an Accident Reconstructionist. DeSaye also had the opportunity during his career to serve as a mentor and instructor for new recruits at the police academy.

On June 13, 2022, DeSaye was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief in front of the Newburgh Town Board, fellow members of the department, his family and other colleagues and was given a proclamation by the town supervisor.

The family has announced there will be a planned celebration of life for DeSaye to be held at a later date.